SOUTH BEND -- The YWCA North Central Indiana reports a record number of women and children in its emergency shelter.

It's seeking donations of food and toys for the 80 kids currently there.

The capacity at the YWCA is 125, but the actual number staying there has exceeded that for much of the year. CEO Linda Baechle said 152 women and children are now in the shelter, up from 125 in 2010, 124 in 2009 and 112 in 2008 in the last week of November.

"We have waiting lists for our other programs, but when it comes to domestic violence and protecting women and children we will always find room," Baechle said in a news release.

Advertisement

Donations can be dropped off at the YWCA, 1102 S. Fellows St. For questions, contact Amanda Ceravolo at aceravolo@ywcancin.org or 574-233-9491, ext. 324.

Coats for Kids set Saturday at Adams

SOUTH BEND -- Children in need of gently used coats, hats and mittens are invited to "Coats for Kids" from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Adams High School.

Ziker Cleaners, in coordination with South Bend schools, expects to distribute more than 1,500 donated coats of all sizes.

Children must be present to receive a coat.

Buses will be available for students and their parents at Harrison Primary Center, 3302 W. Western Ave., and Dickinson Intermediate Fine Arts Academy, 4404 Elwood Ave. They'll leave about 8:15 a.m. and return when the event is over.

The giveaway will last until all coats have been distributed.

CRIME & COURTS

Three arraigned in Fulton County death

ROCHESTER (AP) -- Three men accused of fatally shooting an 81-year-old woman during a break-in at her rural home have had not-guilty pleas entered for them.

A Fulton County judge on Tuesday entered the pleas for 24-year-old Roy Bell, of Rochester; 34-year-old Jason Miller, of Plymouth; and 25-year-old William Scroggs, of Delong, and ordered that they be appointed public defenders. They were ordered held without bond.

The Fulton County prosecutor filed murder charges against all three for the Nov. 22 death of Wilma Upsall at the rural Rochester home she shared with her daughter and son-in-law.

Prosecutor Rick Brown told The Rochester Sentinel that all three have acknowledged being inside the home, but all deny shooting Upsall. Brown says he believes they didn't know Upsall was home.

Man accused of flashing people

SOUTH BEND -- Police are investigating a complaint of a man flashing people at a Goodwill store in the 1800 block of West Western Avenue Monday afternoon.

According to a police report, the man, who reportedly had his pants down, was flashing people in a changing room and at children in a toy area about 2 p.m. One of the victims listed is a 2-year-old girl.

The man left the store before police arrived. Police have a loose description of the man, including a first name, but were not able to make a positive identification from video surveillance retrieved from the store, police said.

Man injured during S.B. home invasion

SOUTH BEND -- A 33-year-old man was taken to an area hospital for injuries suffered during a home invasion Monday evening in the 800 block of Portage Avenue.

The victim told police he was expecting a woman to come over to his home but, about 5:50 p.m., there was a knock on the door, and the woman was standing with a man, who reportedly was holding a semi-automatic gun.

The victim also had a gun because, he later told police, something didn't appear right. Both the victim and suspect pointed their guns at each other. At this time, two other men reportedly ran into the home and knocked the victim to the ground, kicking him, police said.

One of the other men also had a gun and hit the victim in the head with it.

Two of the suspects ransacked the man's apartment, taking money, a gun, car keys and an Xbox gaming system, police said.

No arrests have been made.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Watervliet issues boil-water notice

WATERVLIET -- The Watervliet Public Works Department has issued a precautionary boil water notice, effective immediately, according to a Tuesday afternoon news release.

Construction crews hit one of the system's large water transmission mains, creating a loss of water pressure to customers in the northern half of the city and causing the need for a boil-water notice.

Such an order requires that water used for drinking and cooking be brought to a rolling boil for a minimum of two minutes and then allowed to cool to room temperature before use.

The Watervliet City Water Department serves the city of Watervliet and portions of Watervliet Township.

The notice shall remain in effect until further notice. Once the main is repaired, a minimum of 72 hours will be required for system flushing and bacteriological testing.

Mark Bolin, the Watervliet Public Works superintendent, may be contacted at 269-277-6654 for further information.